Red Devils rally to dismiss Roane in home baseball sectional game

RAVENSWOOD - Coach Wes Swain's Ravenswood Red Devils spotted visiting Roane County a 3-0 lead, but then roared back to dismiss the Raiders from the postseason, 6-3, Tuesday at soggy Wright Field. Roane lost to Ritchie County Monday in the double-elimination Class AA Region I, Section 2 Tournament's opening game.

Starting Ravenswood pitcher Isaac Crow suffered through a rough first inning, allowing two run to the Raiders who took advantage of miscues and the soggy infield. Roane added another run for a 3-0 led in the top of the third, before the Devils finally dented their half of the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the third, Logan Jarrett and Devon Crews swatted back-to-back singles with two outs, and Crow drove in Jarrett with an sharp RBI single. But the Devils stranded two in what could have been a bigger inning.

Momentum shifted in the top of the fourth when Crews gunned down a Raider at first after a Texas League blooper eluded Will Schindler's hustling charge from left field. But Schindler flipped the ball to Crews who double clutched and fired a dart to Jarrett who tagged out the base runner who had strayed too far toward second base. The close play was howled down by the Raider fans, but the runner likely bounced off the bag in his dive during Jarrett's swipe tag.

Catcher Trey Hatcher then gunned down another Raider to Crews on a steal attempt to end the half-inning.

Ravenswood tripped the Raider lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, and nearly blew th game wide open. Hatcher led off with a double to the right center field fence. Thomas Sturm followed with a sharp single, but Hatcher was thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play. Patrick Click drew a walk, and Ben Johnson's fielder's choice forced out Sturm at third. Nic Ballard then drilled an RBI single to score pinch runner Schindler. Jarrett walked to load the bases, but Crews' line shot to right field was caught to end the threat with the bases full of Red Devils.Swain brought in Jesse Brown in relief of Crow and strategy neutralized the Raider bats who never got a hit after the third inning.

Ravenswood took total control in the bottom of the fifth. Crow led off with a line single and Sturm reached on an error. Brown helped his won cause by slapping an RBI single to right field to score Crow with the tying run (3-3). Johnson then blasted a towering drive to left field that turned the Raider fielder inside out with the ball skipping off the end of his glove. Sturm and Brown scored in the play to give the Devils' a 5-3 lead.

The Devils added another run in the bottom of the sixth. Jarrett reached on an error. Crews singled and Heath Burgess punched a nifty bunt single past the pitcher to load the bases. Hatcher's sacrifice fly plated Jarrett.

In the meantime, Brown and a solidified Ravenswood defense bageled the Raiders over the final three innings and out of the tournament.

Brown got the pitching win in relief, fanning three and allowing no hits over three innings. Crow fanned four, walked three and allowed five hits over four innings.

Eli Kucherawy took the loss for Roane, fanning two, walking three and allowing 11 hits.

Quentin Corbitt had a double and two RBIs and Kucherawy a single and two RBIs to pace the Raiders.Ravenswood (1-0) played at Ritchie County (1-0) Wednesday in the third game of the double-elimination sectional tournament.

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